March 19 NEC Energy News
¶ “How Climate Change Is Leading To Bigger Hailstones” • One result of climate change is bigger hailstorms. In Texas, Alabama, and Colorado, records for largest hailstone have been broken in the last three years, reaching sizes of up to 16cm (6.2 inches) in diameter. In 2020, Tripoli, the capital of Libya, was struck by hailstones nearly 18 cm (7.1 in) across. [BBC]
¶ “Poland To Rethink Role Of Russian Gas In Green Energy Transition, As Nuclear Plans Go Ahead” • Poland is rethinking the role of natural gas in its transition away from coal-fired energy, as it seeks to avoid dependence on Russian fuels. Russia’s war on Ukraine has compelled the EU to attempt to reduce dependence on fossil fuels from Russia. [Euronews]
¶ “Belgium Delays Nuclear Energy Exit By Ten Years Due To Ukraine War” • Belgium has delayed by a decade a plan to scrap nuclear energy in 2025, as energy prices due to Russia’s war on Ukraine. “The federal government has decided to take the necessary steps to extend the life of two nuclear reactors by ten years,” the Belgian Prime Minister said. [RTL Today]
¶ “Fleetzero’s Container Ship Battery-Swapping Scheme May Help Electrify Shipping” • Fleetzero has developed a 2-MWh LiFePO₄ battery pack that fits in a shipping container. A ship can load enough containers onboard to complete a sea voyage, then swap them out when they are depleted for fully charged batteries while the ship is in port. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Fitch: Uncertainty Holding Up 4 GW In Mexico’s Renewable Pipeline” • A floor vote on the planned constitutional reforms to Mexico’s electric power sector is unlikely to come before “late 2022,” Fitch Ratings says. Meanwhile, sector-wide uncertainty is increasing as information on a timetable, potential changes, and implementation approaches is lacking. [BNamericas]
¶ “Germany Gets On Board With EU ICE Ban” • The EU is in favor of banning sales of cars with internal combustion engines by 2035. Germany has been reluctant to make that commitment, but Politico reports that Germany has reluctantly signed on to the 2035 ICE ban and will ditch plans to lobby for key exemptions to EU CO₂ emissions targets. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Estimating The Cost Of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations” • States getting EV charging station funds can count on new jobs. The country has about 47,000 public charging stations, but as the administration rolls out its plan to build a network of 500,000 electric charging stations by the end of the decade, that number will increase quickly. [CleanTechnica]
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